These adorable African spotted-neck otter pups debuted at the Monterey Bay Aquarium early last year. While it might be old news, we couldn't help but sharing these ridiculous little guys. 

 

Jan 27, 2007

The
Monterey Bay Aquarium is thrilled to announce the birth of its first
mammals. Two freshwater African spotted-necked otter pups –
which will be introduced to visitors when Wild About Otters
special exhibition opens on March 31 – were born on November 3
at an off-site aquarium facility.

The
11-week-old pups are in good health, are gaining weight and are being
raised by their mother, said Michelle Jeffries, the aquarium’s
associate curator of mammals.

“They’re
absolutely captivating, I can’t help but smile when watching
them,” she said.

The
parents of Kazana (Swahili for “to busy oneself”) and
Ajabu (“surprise”) are Neema and Denny, two of the 10
freshwater otters that will be the stars of Wild About Otters.

Neema
and Denny, on loan to Monterey Bay Aquarium from the San Diego Zoo
for the exhibition, have raised three other pups together since 2002.
This litter marks the first time Neema has given birth to two pups
and the first time she’s had female pups. Her past three
litters have consisted of single male pups.

“We
wanted to be sure the pups would survive before sharing them with the
world,” said Jeffries, “especially since this is Neema’s
first time raising two pups.”

In the
wild, females typically do most of the pup rearing, with a normal
litter consisting of one to three pups.

The
first several months are critical in assuring a pup’s survival.
At three to four weeks old, African spotted-necked pups’ eyes
and ears open; up until that point they rely only on their sense of
smell to find their mother. At two months, the pups begin to learn
how to swim and the mother starts teaching them how to hunt.

By
three to four months, river otter pups are weaned and rely on solid
foods for their energy and